Sholay is an iconic film in Indian cinema, often regarded as director Ramesh Sippy’s masterpiece. Released in 1975, the movie broke records and became a landmark in Bollywood with a budget of ₹3 crores and earnings of ₹35 crores. But in a recent interview, actor Sachin Pilgaonkar dropped a bombshell, claiming that Sippy did not direct the entire film. He revealed that he and co-star Amjad Khan, who played Gabbar Singh, directed several scenes featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra.
“Amjad Khan and I Directed Many Scenes”
In an interview on YouTube with Kunal Vijaykar, Sachin Pilgaonkar shared some surprising behind-the-scenes details. He said that Ramesh Sippy hired a second unit to manage certain action sequences. Pilgaonkar added that these scenes didn’t include the lead stars and were mainly filler shots. To handle this, Sippy brought in a well-known stunt filmmaker, Mohammad Ali Bhai, along with action director Azim Bhai. Hollywood technicians Jim and Jerry were also brought on board for added expertise.
“We Were Useless,” Joked Pilgaonkar
Sachin humorously recalled how he and Amjad Khan were called the “useless” members of the unit. Since they had no immediate tasks at hand, Sippy tasked them with overseeing some of the film’s scenes. According to Sachin, they directed several scenes featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. Despite being busy acting as Gabbar and Ahmed, the two actors contributed to shaping the film’s narrative behind the camera.
Ramesh Sippy Focused on Lead Stars’ Scenes
According to Pilgaonkar, Ramesh Sippy only directed scenes involving Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, and Amitabh Bachchan. Meanwhile, the rest of the unit, including Amjad Khan and Sachin, managed other important parts of the film. Despite Sippy’s direction being limited to key sequences, the collaborative efforts of the team ensured that Sholay became one of Bollywood’s most celebrated films.
This unexpected revelation has certainly added a new layer to Sholay‘s legacy.
